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I bought an Acer c720 (16GB) for $150 refurbished and upgraded the M.2 storage with a 128GB SSD. While I wish it had a super key, and more than 2GB of RAM, I must say that I'm happy with it. especially after installing Debian.Reply

Terminology question: "16 GB internal memory" sounds like RAM when it's more likely referencing storage. I know I've seen that reference other places, too. Is that common and I should just get used to it?Reply

Yes, "16GB internal memory" refers to the storage space. Chromebooks are dependent on cloud storage and streaming content as opposed to storing content on the device itself. The RAM will usually be 2-4GB.Reply

they aren't that significantly more dependant on streaming and cloud than any other computer. They have HTML5 offline support, they have packaged apps, NaCL, and other technologies that allow you to be productive without an internet connection.

Let's be real though, how often are you productive on any computer without an internet connection? It's just as possible to be productive on a Chromebook without internet access, but in what real world situation would you do that? If you really wanted some kind of offline functionality that Chrome OS couldn't offer you (hypothetically) then you could always set up a Linux chroot using Crouton that would provide a full Linux desktop that you can hot-switch over to without even rebooting.Reply

The 16GB is standard. The entire idea of a Chromebook is to function as a thin client. There is growing off-line utility depending on specific apps. But the general paradigm is constant or near-constant connection to the net - which is actually pretty accurate for most people in a lot of places today. The low storage on board is a mind-shift for many people. However it's really integral to the thin client idea.Of course a lot of people do upgrade that and use the hardware more traditionally with fuller Linux distros meshed into or in place of ChromeOS. Not all Chromebooks have upgradeable SSDs though. I suspect in the future it will move more and more in that direction. No info yet on whether the SSD in these new Lenovo or Asus units is upgradeable. Reply

If they'd release one of these with a 1080p screen for $100 more I'd probably buy that. There's just not enough screen real estate at that resolution, especially at <12". Another example of a 4" phone having a 1080p screen but we somehow can't get that as a standard in laptops. Reply